Greetings, Seattle Metro Chamber Members,
Happy New Year and welcome to 2024!
And boy did it start with a bang: what a couple of weeks it has been for the University of Washington! The release of the inspiring “Boys in the Boat” movie on Christmas Day was the perfect backdrop to watch Michael Penix and the Husky football team on their 2nd in the nation, 14-1, run. I know I speak for the entire Husky Nation when I say we are so proud, so delighted to have been a part of this team’s journey, and we are all BOWING DOWN!
The Huskies playing in the National Championship this January capped off an amazing 2023, and I want to take one last minute to celebrate what was a big year for Seattle and the Puget Sound region.
We worked together on revitalizing downtown Seattle, hosted a successful MLB All-Star week, and opened an expansion of Tacoma Link. Microsoft became the world’s most valuable company, Seattle’s Eighth Generation graced the cover of British Vogue, the Intentionalist launched the first Black Black Friday campaign, Amazon donated $78 million to support the work of more than 300 organizations in the Puget Sound region, and we welcomed a new group of leaders to the Seattle City Council. The Chamber’s Board Chair, Ada Healey, Chief Real Estate Officer for Vulcan, penned a piece saying that the future is bright, and now is the time to keep our foot on the gas. We agree.
Big Things in 2024 in the Business Community: Innovation and Growth
And 2024 will keep it coming. We’ll host the first-ever Bloomberg Green Festival in Seattle, Emerald City Comic Con will be here in February, light rail will open to Lynnwood – and a starter line in Bellevue – and Nikki Minaj, Madonna, and Billy Joel will all rock Climate Pledge Arena.
Big things are happening in our employer community as well. New CEOs are taking the helm of organizations, including Zach Buchwald at Russell Investments, Dr. Elizabeth Wako at Swedish Health Services, and Bindiya Patel, the new executive director of Leadership Tomorrow. Longtime leaders like Brad Smith of Microsoft are driving the future of the region’s economy in AI, cloud, quantum, and fusion. Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines will enable the combined companies to become a market leader in travel to Hawaii. Job numbers are growing, more people are spending time downtown, and this week Bloomberg reported that there is new hope for the commercial real estate market.
Big Things in 2024 in Leadership
There are good signs of progress with government partners in our region, too.
In Seattle, Councilmember Sara Nelson will serve as Council President, and while they won’t agree on everything during their tenure, all of the newly elected Councilmembers have said scrutinizing revenue and spending, as well as making sure outcomes are being met and that progress is being made, is a top priority.
Regionally, the Sound Transit Board prudently brought in an industry veteran to serve as interim CEO after Julie Timm’s departure. Goran Sparman has a demonstrated track record in both government and the private sector and will help set the agency and a new CEO up for success. This approach – bringing in experienced problem solvers to drive success within the agency – may also be a good idea for the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.
And finally, we hope the legislature, during this short session, will not spend time and energy focused on things like undermining our hometown companies with legislation targeting gift cards, and instead focus on the big issues: six initiatives seeking to repeal legislation, fentanyl, police officer hiring, organized retail crime, and critical transportation projects – including a ferry system on the brink – with soaring price tags. All these items need Olympia’s attention, and I believe progress can be made.
I am very optimistic about 2024. Our businesses are poised to do big things, our governments have the opportunity to rebuild trust, and your Chamber is ready to help with both!
With optimism,
Rachel
Rachel Smith
President and CEO
